Local News
Internet sex sting snares Conneautville minister
03/06/08 — LINESVILLE — A United Methodist Church minister from Conneautville arrested Wednesday on Internet pornography charges has been suspended from his ministerial duties — including that as the church district youth minister.
The Rev. Steven Richard McGuigan, 39, of 905 Washington St., Conneautville, was arraigned Wednesday before Magisterial District Judge Rita Marwood in Linesville on two counts each of unlawful contact with minors and two counts of criminal use of a communication facility.
If convicted on the charges, each a third-degree felony, McGuigan faces a maximum of 28 years in prison and $60,000 in fines.
McGuigan was pastor of both Valley United Methodist Church in Conneautville and Hickernell United Methodist Church since November 2004. He also served as district youth leader for the Erie-Meadville district of the United Methodist Church.
McGuigan was relieved of all duties immediately Wednesday pending the outcome of a church investigation and the disposition of criminal charges, said the Rev. Larry Homitsky, spokesman for the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General alleges McGuigan engaged in sexually explicit e-mail conversations in Internet chat rooms with what he believed was a 13-year-old seven different times between December 2007 and January, including one from chat from his place of employment — the church. Authorities also allege that during two of the conversations McGuigan sent sexually explicit videos of himself to her via the Internet.
However, the girl was actually a special agent of the Office of Attorney General acting in an undercover capacity, according to the criminal complaint filed against McGuigan.
Authorities allege McGuigan initially made contact with the “girl” Dec. 10, 2007, in an Internet chat room. McGuigan is alleged to have made inappropriate sexual comments, according to the complaint.
Authorities allege McGuigan had sexually explicit Internet chat room conversations with her on Dec. 12, Jan. 2, 7, 14, 15 and 22, according to the arrest affidavit. Authorities allege the Jan. 7 conversation took place from the church.
McGuigan also is alleged to have sent sexually explicit videos of himself Jan. 2 and 22, according to the affidavit.
Dressed in a striped golf shirt and black jeans, McGuigan said little at his arraignment before Marwood. He told the judge that he briefly had received mental health counseling from the Pittsburgh Pastoral Institute in the past.
McGuigan was committed to Crawford County jail in Saegertown in lieu of $35,000 bond after arraignment.
Marwood also imposed several conditions if McGuigan were to post bond and be released. Those conditions include no unsupervised contact with a minor under age 18, no use of the Internet, and no possession or use of cameras or Webcams.
He faces a preliminary hearing on the charges March 13.
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